BACKGROUND Global health policy and development aid trends also affect humanitarian health work. Reconstruction, rehabilitation and development initiatives start increasingly earlier after crisis, unleashing tensions between development and humanitarian paradigms. Recently, development aid shows specific interest in contexts affected by conflict and fragility, with increasing expectations for h...

In 2015, hundreds of thousands of refugees decided to take up the dangerous and oftentimes deadly crossing into countries of the European Union (EU). Many of them were already living in dismal situations. Millions have been trapped. This situation deteriorated throughout the year. Due to the war in Syria, but also other humanitarian situations and developmental crises, including harsh poverty a...

The literature on evidence-based action in humanitarian crises commonly focuses on how inter-and non-governmental organisations can produce better knowledge and how this can be translated into improved programming. Yet, there is little recorded experience of, or concern about, how the beneficiaries of humanitarian relief can produce and use knowledge of their predicament. This paper is based on...

The Yemen conflict has caused a severe humanitarian crisis. This study aims to evaluate the Yemen crisis by making use of time series nighttime light images from the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite sensor (NPP-VIIRS). We develop a process flow to correct NPP-VIIRS nighttime light from April 2012 to March 2017 by employing the Defense Meteorolo...

The conflict in Syria has created the largest humanitarian crisis in decades. As the fifth year of the Syria crisis begins, the humanitarian needs across the region stretch beyond description. Constant, deadly conflict is destroying lives, families and communities. Today, hardly a family remains in Syria unaffected by the catastrophe. Well over one third of Syria’s pre-conflict population of 22...

the year 2016 could turn out to be a turning point for global health, new political realities and global insecurities will test governance and financing mechanisms in relation to both people and planet. but most importantly political factors such as the global power shift and “the rise of the rest” will define the future of global health. a new mix of health inequity and security challenges has...

Humanitarian crisis require a responsive and agile response. The number of professional and volunteer organization involved in the response to humanitarian disasters has increased over the past year, making coordination more important than ever before. This paper discusses the main issues of Humanitarian Disaster Management (HDM) coordination and the different modes applied on the field. We arg...

It is anticipated that humanitarian crisis situations will continue to occur in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region affecting large segments of vulnerable populations. Subsequently the magnitude and effectiveness of the humanitarian response, particularly for food and nutrition, must be based on best practices and sound information of affected populations. To bridge the burgeoning gap...

doi:10.1017/S1049023X11006479 In the wake of highly publicized recent disasters in Haiti, Pakistan, and elsewhere, discourse among those concerned with the management of public health emergencies has focused on defining a standard of professionalism for humanitarian and disaster responders.1 Few “prerequisites” exist for the diversity of casual responders, experienced providers, and humanitaria...

Reproductive health (RH) has historically received low priority in the hierarchy of humanitarian response. Awareness of RH needs in emergencies began in the mid-1990s and led to the formation of the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) for RH. Subsequently, the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP), a set of guidelines for RH service delivery in crisis settings, was created. The objectives of the...